In a heartwarming celebration, Bunker Holding marks a significant milestone. Bunker Holding CEO for the past decade, Keld R. Demant, has been an integral part of organization for an impressive 25 years.
During his time, Bunker Holding has grown immensely, delivering a steady flow of positive results and record-breaking financial as well as industry achievements. But as Keld would say, none of it can be attributed to one man alone, it all comes down to a strong team effort.
To those who know Keld, it’s evident that calling the bunker business a people business very much corresponds to how he has led his professional life. Getting out and meeting business partners, colleagues, and peers across the globe has always been pivotal to Keld. And in meeting new people and seeing the world through different lenses is part of how he interacts with challenges and differences of opinion. Something that is noted by Nina Østergaard Borris co-owner and CEO of parent company USTC:
“Working with Keld has always been a joy. He is a leader that always listens to all sides of arguments and gives a large mandate to the people he trusts. I value that he is always calm even when tensions run high. He is punctual, factual, and at the same time there is no doubt he is a family man who cares about the people who surrounds him. That is what makes him such a well-liked and successful leader: His genuine interest in and concern for people. I greatly appreciate the close partnership we have had over the years – and still have.”
Congratulations, Keld! What an incredible milestone!
About Keld R. Deman, CEO, Bunkering Holding A/S
Since his first hiring in 1998, Keld R. Demant has been one of the driving forces in Bunker Holding. Starting as a Sales and Marketing Director and accepting the role as CEO in 2013, Demant has been a deciding factor in the success of the Bunker Holding Group, a calming presence through rough seas and a close confidant to the founders, owners and management of the Group.
Initially hired from a position as product manager in a chemical company, Keld R. Demant became responsible for his first employees at 21. Upon meeting Torben Østergaard-Nielsen, Keld R. Demant immediately developed a sense that they together could build something extraordinary, and with his natural predisposition toward structure, he was the perfect character to streamline the Bunker Holding Group, which at the time was permeated by the entrepreneurial spirit that characterised Torben Østergaard-Nielsen.
Growing the turnover from 1,3 billion to 123 billion in the next 24 years, Keld R. Demant has shown himself to be an exceedingly talented leader and merchant, and he still today enjoys the utmost confidence of both management and the owner family.
During his tenure as both Sales and Marketing director and later as CEO of Bunker Holding, Keld. R. Demant has spearheaded the structuralisation required to expand the group into the international leader that it is today.
Residing in Middelfart, Keld R. Demant not only understands every aspect of the business but has the same cultural heritage as the owner family, embodying the values that have been the Group’s guiding principles since the early days.
The values of Decency, Leadership and Business Acumen stem directly from Torben Østergaard-Nielsen’s original business philosophy, meaning that any employees of Bunker Holding must understand that Bunker Holding’s role as global leader depends on the entire organisation’s willingness to lead our industry towards new standards, that this is only possible if it remains profitable and that profitability must not come at any cost. The Group’s actions must never be at the expense of the moral and ethical obligations it abides and lives by, the trust it enjoys from clients, partners and society and its responsibility towards both compatriots and environment.
Bunker Holding is a global leader in purchasing, selling and supplying marine fuel and lube oil. We also provide risk management and other vital services for the shipping industry. Bunker Holding has served global shipping for more than 140 years. Established as a local Danish shipping company in 1876, we became one of the pioneers in bunker trading, and have grown into one of the world’s leaders in our business. Bunker Holding has a rich history but remain forward-looking and focused on answering the needs and challenges of an ever-changing industry. Bunker Holding serves over 60 nationalities, is present on all continents, and available in every time zone. We are represented both in all the major bunkering hubs and in the small, niche ports.
Source Bunker Holding A/S